It's staring me in the face.Overkill at the shooting guard position.KG and Pierce without much tread left on the tyres (although what is left on those tyres is still dang good).The Heat continually beating us with Bosh stretching the floor and taking KG away from the basket- leaving Lebron and Wade to have a field day in the paint.The 76ers and Pacers getting much stronger, faster and closer to being a contender. Derrick Rose and the Bulls amnestying Boozer soon and going after someone like Gasol.I won't even start on the Lakers size in the West.

Some people are claiming we are discussing trades in a frenzy and we are worried because of the slow start. That doesn't bother me at all. We have many fresh faces and young guys learning the ropes, it will always take time to build chemistry and continuity. We will be a great team in time this season. But are we really good enough to beat the Heat, the 76ers, the Pacers, or OKC and LA- even the Spurs?

I've looked at our roster from the day we signed Terry and Lee and wondered what was going on.I think that logically this team is still one piece from being a serious title contender and that Danny is going to do his best to make the most out of the precious few years that we have KG out there in the middle.

Sully is only a rookie and it's only the third game but he is the perfect trade chip. Lottery talent that falls to #21, we pick him up and show him off to the league with KG making up for his defensive horridness and Rondo giving him easy looks and easy points.

I like Sully and he'll be a great player one day. The fact is that this team doesn't have time for Sully to grow into a solid role player. We have 2-3 years with KG left. Maybe 2 with Pierce. Sully isn't going to blossom into anywhere near the level of talent we need to compete with the Heat, Bulls and Philly while we have KG.

We need an All Star to help KG now, not a rookie that's going to need 2-3 seasons to start reaching his potential.Avery is in the same boat, he's an elite defender, but do we think we can win a title with Sully and Avery as our starting 2 and 4 ?I just don't think it's a realistic outcome. It stinks of mediocrity and I don't think KG signed on for 3 years of mediocrity.We've also seen we can't beat the elite teams with Bass as our starting PF. Sully ain't better than Bass and won't be for some while.How do we get an All Star? To me it's a trade of Sully, Bradley, Bass and probably a draft pick or two and hopefully end up with Josh Smith, Verajao, Millsap or some borderline All Star big that knows how to defend.Who we get is also an issue, I just name those above because they tick most of the boxes for characteristics that we are missing at the moment and they may be available come All Star break. (More size, interior defense and rebounding but can run the floor with Rondo)Someone like Smith for all his shooting woes can guard Lebron, he can guard Gasol, he can guard Bynum and he can patrol the paint and turn us into a defensive juggernaught.Rondo giving him the easiest transition points of his career can't hurt either. There should be opportunities come All Star break for us to acquire someone like Smith, and I think we are going to roll the dice because our window has 2-3 years left as KG and Paul retire with Rondo entering his prime.

I believe that Danny won't stand for mediocrity, he's an all in type of guy and at the moment we are not all in with KG+Pierce having limited time left, and Miami and the East getting tougher each season there's precious time left to get this thing in motion.We aren't necessarily pretenders, but we aren't serious contenders either and I think a move will be made to move us up into that category with the Thunder, Lakers and Heat.

« Last Edit: November 04, 2012, 06:49:47 PM by chambers »

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“I told him he was going to be immersed in a basketball culture. I told him he was going to be around people who have won championships, who talk championship and understand championship. Not too many players are blessed with that opportunity to be around that environment" Isiah Thomas to Isaiah Thomas on becoming a Celtic.

None of the guards have that much trade value. Hard to get a quality big man who is good enough to upgrade this team in return for Courtney Lee. Bass (replacement big in trade) + incentives seems more likely to be a winning package.

We basically signed three mid-level guys at once in Lee, JET, and Bass, while Barbosa is a mid-level talent player, Darko could be with one good season, and Green might actually be a mid-level guy who is just overpaid.

But unless one of them is playing like a star rather than an MLE or journeyman guy, we're not contending.

Every option to pull in a star for a bag of what we've got is a good idea. Smith or Milsap probably would be perfect, I admit, and could be probably had for a package of the stuff we have without giving up Bradley or Green.

Bass plus Lee or JET, maybe Collins, draft picks and cash = who?

Like Doc suggested, it's not a 10-on-10 league.

The wildcard is that we have to see how Bradley comes back. If he's a health risk for the future, I think Danny uses him as a sweetener and keeps Lee and Barbosa, and resigns Barbosa in the offseason to defend the title.

In that case, Bradley, Bass, Collins, Melo, and JET are out along with some 1sts for Josh Smith.

We have Rondo/Lee/Pierce/Smith/KG starting, with Barbosa, Green, and Wilcox off the bench, with Darko getting spot minutes due to matchups.

We basically signed three mid-level guys at once in Lee, JET, and Bass, while Barbosa is a mid-level talent player, Darko could be with one good season, and Green might actually be a mid-level guy who is just overpaid.

But unless one of them is playing like a star rather than an MLE or journeyman guy, we're not contending.

Every option to pull in a star for a bag of what we've got is a good idea. Smith or Milsap probably would be perfect, I admit, and could be probably had for a package of the stuff we have without giving up Bradley or Green.

Bass plus Lee or JET, maybe Collins, draft picks and cash = who?

Like Doc suggested, it's not a 10-on-10 league.

The wildcard is that we have to see how Bradley comes back. If he's a health risk for the future, I think Danny uses him as a sweetener and keeps Lee and Barbosa, and resigns Barbosa in the offseason to defend the title.

In that case, Bradley, Bass, Collins, Melo, and JET are out along with some 1sts for Josh Smith.

We have Rondo/Lee/Pierce/Smith/KG starting, with Barbosa, Green, and Wilcox off the bench, with Darko getting spot minutes due to matchups.

I mostly agree with this. But I think we could find a way to keep Terry. Depending on how Bradley performs when he returns.

The interesting problems with Josh Smith is that he's a free agent at the end of this year. Do we want to pay him $17million or more a year for the next four or five years? Could we even afford to keep him for the future?

I do agree with most everyone else that he would be a good fit for this team, but I'm not sure that trading for him this season is the practical solution.

No one ever mentions Amir Johnson here. Young athletic guy who can rebound, play inside, and run the floor with Rondo.

Would be much less costly too get than Josh Smith too.

We need an All Star. Amir is good, but so is Avery Bradley.These guys don't take you to the promised land. (in my opinion).

Trade our mid level chips for one big swinger.Has to be the plan with so many chips.

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“I told him he was going to be immersed in a basketball culture. I told him he was going to be around people who have won championships, who talk championship and understand championship. Not too many players are blessed with that opportunity to be around that environment" Isiah Thomas to Isaiah Thomas on becoming a Celtic.

The interesting problems with Josh Smith is that he's a free agent at the end of this year. Do we want to pay him $17million or more a year for the next four or five years? Could we even afford to keep him for the future?

I do agree with most everyone else that he would be a good fit for this team, but I'm not sure that trading for him this season is the practical solution.

This is a big consideration IMHO. The easy answer is if we resign Pierce to a multi year deal ala KG at a discount. If Paul is willing it would really help us for the future and likely get him another ring. I think we have to give up Green, Lee and likely Sullinger with picks to get him though.

The interesting problems with Josh Smith is that he's a free agent at the end of this year. Do we want to pay him $17million or more a year for the next four or five years? Could we even afford to keep him for the future?

I do agree with most everyone else that he would be a good fit for this team, but I'm not sure that trading for him this season is the practical solution.

This is a big consideration IMHO. The easy answer is if we resign Pierce to a multi year deal ala KG at a discount. If Paul is willing it would really help us for the future and likely get him another ring. I think we have to give up Green, Lee and likely Sullinger with picks to get him though.

It depends, if I'm sending a big hamper of players and picks to the hawks for an all star in return, Im probably going to want horford instead of smoove to be honest. It just seems that horford is untouchable.